Through Fel and Back
by Vitolas
Summary: Rumours about mysterious abductions sound all over Azeroth and the only clue, some dusty residue. When finally an official investigation group started to look in to these rumours, one of the agents vanished. The search continues for the who and why behind these disappearances. This is my very first story I'm writing, so constructive feedback is always welcome!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Looks like there's nothing here." Eliot and his crew have been searching for hours. A rumour spread and made it to their commanders ear sending Eliot and a handful of soldiers to investigate. The rumour has changed often, but had one major key plot that reoccurred in every version of it. Every time the rumour was mentioned it was always about a disappearance and the only trace was a green residue at the location of the kidnapping. No one who was reported to be gone has ever found or returned. The frequency and the urgent manner in how the people talked about it, made it worthy for a case and an investigation. But there was one small problem linking the disappearances together.

"Keep looking, we don't have much time before the residue loses its magical properties." The captain of the investigation said.

"Yes sir." Everyone agreed.

Eliot looked around the upper level of the house. It was a very simple house where a farmer and his family used to live, before they disappeared, at the edge of Elwynn Forest. It had very little luxury and there was a heavy burned smell enveloping the entire house, which has never been recorded before. The wooden floor creaked at every step and when someone climbed the stairs you could hear it anywhere in the house.

Eliot entered the bedroom of the farmer and his wife. It was as simple as the rest of the house. A well made bed and a large dresser stood at the other end of the room, while the sun came through a square window to the left shining on a wardrobe that was half open. As he stepped towards the wardrobe the floor creaked and the smell became heavier, it even smelled a bit rotten and started to toy with his senses. It almost disorientated him, forcing him to take a moment before advancing. As he peeked around the open door to look inside, he could only see what looked like a half eaten cadaver of some small mammal. Probably a cat.

"Ugh, I don't wanna meet what got him." He whispered to himself.

Suddenly a cry from the room across the hall echoed through the house and chilled Eliot's body.

"What was that! Maria?! Are you ok?" Eliot stood still watching from the doorway to the other room in complete silence. After a few heartbeats the other members and the captain himself started to run up the stairs and meet up with Eliot.

"What happened here? Who screamed?" Asked the captain. Eliot pointed across the hall.

"M-maria, s-sir. Look!" From the room a slight green light reflected into the hall as it danced up and down a shadow fell on it. From out of the room stumbled a young woman in leather armour, following behind her a trail of blood. As she fell down a dagger was visible piercing her armour between her shoulders. The dagger itself had a crooked blade and the handle was a dark green leather inlaid with an emerald at the end.

"By the light, is she...is she..." One of the soldiers stuttered.

"I am afraid so soldier." Interjected the captain, looking at the body knowing the strike was most definitely fatal.

"Who did this?! You are under arrest on suspicion of murder. In the name of King Wrynn, surrender now." The captain stepped forward, a creak sounding through the hall. A jittering and muffled laughing sound was heard from the room.

"Show yourself!" Screamed the captain.

In a blink of an eye a green fiery bolt shot out from the room hitting the captain right in the chest knocking him over. Then a figure rapidly sprinted out of the room towards Eliot and rammed him in to the farmer's bedroom. Eliot tried to crawl back to the door as his fellow soldiers tended to the captain. But, when a soldier tried to enter the bedroom the door shut in front of him.

"Going somewhere?" A heavy voice said behind him. As Eliot turned around he only saw two red glaring eyes behind a cloak. Eliot reached for his sword but he was too slow and was engulfed by fiery green flames. When the soldiers managed to hack their way through the door they only found a green residue glowing intensely.


	2. Chapter 1: Glund

**Chapter 1: Glund**

A dry breeze blew through the gate of Nethergarde Keep throwing some dust against Glund's brass armour and flapping his beard and tabard around very slightly, the dust making a soft ticking sound when hitting the metal. Glund looked around as he stood guard at the outside of the gate. Not much to see what he hasn't seen, the red scorched ground of the Blasted Lands weren't much of a sight, trying to beat the ever-lasting stand still of his duty he decided to count the amount of clouds in the air leaning on his stone hammer.

"1...2...tha' is 4...one over there as well." He mumbled and let out a long sigh. 'I miss Dun Morogh...' He thought to himself.

"Work sure is slow today, huh?" A voice called.

"Hm?" Glund's shield clinked against his back as he turned to face a young man wearing the same brass armour as he did, standing a bit taller than him at the other end of the gate. "Aye, 't is. As long as them Orcs keep quiet 't will stay tha' way." His red beard waves like a flame from his chin to his chest as he shook his head in disappointment. "Och, when did ya get 'ere by the way? Didn't notice ya standin' there."

The young man smiled.

"I believe you were checking the sky for hostile cloud formations when I got here. I didn't want to disturb your observations" He chuckled.

"Ye can never be to careful lad, one o' these days they might fall down on yer head." Glund smiled. "Ye must be tha new recruit?"

"That's right, Randall Reynolds is the name. Stormwind born and raised." He said with a proud smile. His short brown hair dancing with the breeze.

"I am Glund Rockhammer an' I live by me name..." He picked up his hammer and held it with both hands over his head before putting it down again. "...Stormwind ya say?" Glund raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't ye apply fer tha Stormwind City Guard? At least yer close t' home an' tha pay is better."

"Well, I thought about i-" A sudden harsh wind gust interrupted Reynold. The gust was followed by a deep sounding shock wave knocking Randall off his feet and pushing Glund against the wall. Dust blowing over them.

"Wha' in tha blazes was tha'?" Glund shook the dust off of his beard and wiped his armour with his gloved hands.

As Randall got back to his feet a light green beam flashed far in the distance and vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Whoa, did you see that?" Randall stared at the spot in the sky where the beam had flashed mere seconds ago.

"Aye, I did." Glund frowned, wrinkles forming deep in his forehead. "Better ta alert tha commander, this is not a usual sight."

As both turned to enter the Keep another shock wave made them stumble barely keeping their balance. And as was with the previous wave, this one was also followed by a green beam shooting up in the sky and disappearing shortly after. When they finally found their balance and stepped through the Keep they saw the commander already standing outside in full battle armour talking and giving commands to a few men, only when some of them ran past the duo he noticed them standing there.

"You two." The commander gestured towards the duo. "I need to speak to you both in my command room. Meet me there in about half an hour, there some things I need to do first." He stared at them with a concerned look before walking away in the direction of the mage tower.

The two nodded in unison not willing to argue or question a command from their superior.

* * *

As Glund and Randall stepped inside the command room of Vines, they noticed several other people standing in the room. Glund knew them all by name and strangely enough they were all guards that had gate duty, either the front or back gate. No watchers or officers, just a hand full of soldiers who kept the Keep's gate safe.

"Good ta see ye again, Glund." A familiar female voice sounded from the opposite side from the room. It was a Dwarf, like him and it looked like they were the only Dwarfs in the room. All the others were Humans. " 'Aven't seen ye since I got night duty!" The dwarf walked towards Glund with open arms, Glund laughed and went in for a big hug.

" 'T is good ta see ye, Nally. A pretty face like ye shouldn't be up all night." Glundix chuckled.

"Always tha charmin' one, huh." She smiled and gave Glund a friendly punch to the shoulder.

"Och! Of course, ye haven't met tha new recruit I suppose." Glund gestured towards Randall. "Meet Randall, tha new meat. Fresh from Stormwind." He laughed as he elbowed Randall in the side. Randall smiled awkwardly at the gesture and gave her a friendly nod.

"Randall, this is Nalnora Flintbreaker. We've known each other since we were wee li'l Dwarfs in diapers. We used ta have guard duty t' gether, but tha commander had a spot open fer tha night shift an' he chose Nally to full it."

"A pleasure to meet you, m'am." He extended his hand low enough so Nalnora could reach it.

"Hold the m'am, I ain't married. Just call me Nal, lad." She smiled and gave Randall a firm handshake almost pulling Randall down to her level. Nal and Glund laughed as Randall straighten back up.

From the other side of the room sounded another voice, calm and deep with a hint of sarcasm. "Aren't you gonna introduce us to the rookie?"

Glund turned around with a grin facing a man with dark hair, amber eyes and broad shoulders, looking even more enormous with the shoulder pads he was wearing. His face was scarred and his right ear seemed to have a deep cut. "Why don't ye come and introduce yerself, ye gibberin' lump."

The smile on the man's face broadened.

"Very well." He gestured to the his comrades, another strong muscular bald man with brown eyes and scars all over his arms and an agile looking woman with emerald eyes and blonde hair with a scar running from the outer corner of her left eye tracing her jaw and ending at the corner of her mouth started to follow him towards the trio. Glund crossed his arms over his chest smiling, raising an eyebrow.

"The name is Mark, Mark Trencher. Night duty." He said in his calm, deep voice as he extended his hand towards Randall. Randall, being a little bit intimidated by the grand posture of the man, hesitated a bit before offering his hand.

"R-randall Reynolds, a pleasure to meet you, s-sir."

Glund shook his head and smiled at Randall. "Don't be intimidated by this pompous lump, lad. He is as capable o' hittin' a man as a blind elderly lady..." He stopped and looked at Mark with a gleeful grin going from ear to ear, "...an' if I were ye, I'd put me money on the old m'am." Both of them smiled.

Randall switching his view from Glund to Mark and back with a confused look, unsure if there was any animosity in the words Glund said or if it was a joke.

"Says the man who can barely reach the table." Mark grinned and for a few seconds the two stared at each other in complete silence. Randall shuffled uncomfortably with his feet when Glund exploded in laughter, thundering through the room, as he wiped a small tear away he looked at Randall.

"Don't worry lad," He looked back at Mark with a friendly smile. "we go way back."

"Aye, too far back." Mark looked up at ceiling, nostalgia painted on his face, remembering the good old days.

"An' o' course..." Glund started gesturing at the man and woman behind Mark. "the brawny lookin' fella is Ben Spencer. He looks rough as rock but in tha inside he's as soft as a kitten." Ben nodded with a friendly face.

"Welcome to Nethergarde, Randall."

"An' last but certainly not tha least, young miss Elise Storm. Don't be deceived by her slender look, she can pack a punch like none other." He rubbed his upper arm looking with a sad smile at Elise.

"Aww, does it still hurt," she smiled. "next time you want to ambush someone in the hallway don't telegraph your attack by yelling 'Surprise' for the whole keep to hear." Both laughed as her emerald eyes locked with Randall's brown eyes she kept a thin smile.

"Welcome to Nethergarde, handsome. Hope you enjoy your stay." Winking at him.

"Er-" Randall cleared his throat. "I thi-, er hope I will too and nice to meet you, miss Storm." Randall started to blush. The other five started to laugh as his cheeks reddened.

"She's only messing with ye, lad." Glund smacked his back hard, laughing, Randall barely keeping balance.

The laughter quickly died out as Commander Vines entered the room.

"You six, with me. Now!" He commanded in a hard voice, his expression way darker than it was half an hour ago.

"Where are we goin'?" Asked Glund. Commander Vines eyes turned cold as he surveyed their faces.

"The Dark Portal."


End file.
